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Synopsis:
All that popular Chick-Lit author Mercury Lauren wants is to have one of her books reviewed by the New York Times Book Review – just one – and she’ll do almost anything to get it. In this contemporary romantic comedy, with a nod toward Pride and Prejudice she crosses swords and hearts with the Editor-in-Chief of the NYTBR in a madcap adventure that takes her from her home in Westport to a yoga retreat to a golf course in Florida. Will she get what she wants and will she finally be happy if she does? Only one thing’s for certain: nothing will stop her from Pursuing the Times.
My Review:
I was introduced to this title after receiving an email from the author, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, requesting a review. Of course, I was immediately drawn to the story after reading the synopsis and after finishing the book just last night, I have to thank Lauren for reaching out to me….because I adored this book!
Mercury Lauren is a modern day female author writing what she loves to write. Unfortunately what she loves to write, books with quirky heroines, humor and satire, lands her in the category of chick-lit. Now, Mercury doesn’t exactly love the chick-lit label. The biggest fault with the chick-lit label is that as long as her writing is labeled as such, there’s no way it will be reviewed by The New York Times. Seeing as though being reviewed by The Times has been her dream since she can remember, this is not good. Now her mission is to get at least one of her books read and reviewed by Frank D’Arcangelo, Editor-in-Chief of the New York Times Book Review. After meeting Frank, but not knowing it was him, and calling him a rude bastard to his face, she now has her work cut out for her and will stop at nothing to get her name in that paper. Cue: a mission of hilarity and adventure!
This book had me laughing out loud by the third page. I absolutely love Mercury and her manic, slightly hysterical at times, quirky, talented, witty, and determined personality. She is without a doubt, a character I’d love to hang out with in real life! To read her adventures in stalking Frank D’Archangelo in the attempt to change his mind about her and her writing and get her book reviewed was such a treat. She begins her stalking by emailing him, which turns into an email battle between the two of them, and lands on the list as one of my favorite parts of the book. Her determination in getting Frank to recognize her writing has her crashing a yoga retreat with the Namaste skills of a toddler, golfing at a five star resort with the skills of, well, someone who’s never played golf before, and receiving the Heimlich after choking on a mushroom the size of a baseball in a five star restaurant. In other words, a total nightmarish disaster! All the while, justifying her calamity with a sense of humor that most would envy. Ultimately, to balance out all of the disaster, emerges a very unlikely romance with a partner in which Mercury truly meets her other half. Of course, I won’t tell you who it is (you know there’s not a spoiler-ish bone in my body!)…you’ll just have to read the book!
Pursuing the Times is a light, funny, entertaining read that should be on the top of your summer reading list! Ms. Baratz-Logsted has earned a new fan in this blogger and I look forward to reading more of her work. Thank you, Lauren, for a wonderful story and for bringing us Mercury in all her madcap glory!
*I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review
Five Loves
About the author:
Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.
Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.
In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.
Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.
In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.
Lauren’s favorite color is green.
Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.
Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.